purple power

The art teacher at my school (who is also a dear friend) had her first grade class draw pictures of what they thought I'd look like with purple hair. She's a speedy hanger and hung these outside my door! Aren't the pictures too cute???

The assembly started at 2:30 and I teased them through.
First talking about the big picture and how the challenge started. With my head covered in purple... a purple pareo I promised purple on my head... and this is a purple head. I really wanted to take the time to drive home that great things and positive changes are possible even by kids... and they should think and see what positive changes they can make in the world (I felt a bit like Barack)

When they didn't buy that the pareo filled my end of the deal. I took it off... saying that I did buy dye but was having second thoughts. Of course, under the pareo was a purple turbo twist still covering the hair. But was wondering if we could compromise, since they hadn't met my original monetary goal, a temporary purple spray in my hair should be fair. The little kids bought it, but my older students wanted no parts of it.




After bantering, I removed the towel to reveal my purple locks. And took the opportunity to reiterate what they have the power to do... all those little pennies that alone are nothing added up to $1329.51 which is a nice donation to Relay for Life. I'm incredibly proud of them and I think the school was really united for the first time in a long time for a cause that really helps make a difference.

On the crafting front, I need to make a 1920's costume for DS1 and a 1900 costume for DD. I've started a newsboy cap and have some thrifting/recycling that I'll share with you later... It all has to be finished by Friday at 5... so I really don't have time to discuss it now.

Happy Crafting!

the color purple

is fortunately one of my favorites. There's nothing wrong with my hand... just the remnants of tie-dying 85 shirts and cleaning up after removing my gloves. That is really the worst of it.


But tomorrow, my hair will be purple. I challenged my kids 10 weeks ago to raise money in a penny war against the other elementary school to be donated to Relay for Life (their colors are purple and white) in the town I teach. They didn't meet the outrageous goal i originally set, but with one day to go and only $60 to break $1000, I told them if they broke the thousand mark, I'd dye at least a portion of my hair purple. Well the teachers in my school were more than willing to kick in their fair share.... $75 to be exact... but I didn't let the kids know... if each kid brought in 10 pennies, we would break the $60 that they thought they needed. That's the announcement I made Thursday just before dismissal. The local grocery store donated $100.... but my students brought in, IN ONE DAY, $214 and change.... and almost all of that was in pennies!!!!

This is to kick off the joint elementary chorus concert that will take place next Tuesday and the them is We Can Make A Difference.
The repertoire:

• Get On Your Feet
  
• With My Own Two Hands - from the Curious George movie
  
• Turn The World Around
  
• Child of the Universe
  
• Under the Same Sun
  
• Bridges
  
• We Are the World
  
• Ripple - my principal's request
  
• One Small Step
  
• Gonna Build High Hopes - my arrangement of High Hopes and Gonna Build a Mountain
  
• Cantare Cantaras
  
• Give A Little Love
  
• I am but a Small Voice
  
• Power of One by Bomshel

Most of these songs are taken directly from the music text we use by Silver Burdett
Making Music series but there are a few we stuck in that aren't that fit the bill as well.

The kids are so psyched. I'm a bit nervous but hope they'll sing well... this is our first joint effort. I have to play guitar on With my own 2 hands and piano on We are the World. I don't mind either... but am taking my own guitar so my fingers aren't bloody stubs when I finish... because the piano at the school we're going will certainly finish them off... the action is unbearably poor, way to stiff for my taste.

OK... off to knit a newsboy hat for DS1's music concert. I have to put their costumes together in 2 days... He's to dress like the 1920s and DD like the 1900s... I'll put pictures up of how I accomplish that... I'm a bit excited. Just wish I had started earlier... but that sums me up!!!!!

happy crafting

more spring goodness

the lilacs are coming out. The buds are swollen and some have burst open. The bees are flying... it's glorious.

And there are more tulips that have opened. We only have a few of these. They are so delicate. Just edges with purple and the inside where the stamen are has black... what wonder to behold.


Today I planted DS1's trees that he got for Earth Day, sweet basil, oregano and parsley in the herb bed. The chives are going strong. Oh how I love spring.

so much.....

to show.

I finished the Monthly Dishcloth KAL a couple of days early. But now that everyone could be done, I'll post the picture:

Pattern: Dots within Stripes April mid-month KAL for the Monthly Dishcloth Yahoo group
Yarn: Elmore-Pisgah Peaches and Cream
Colors: Persimmon and Tea Rose
Needle: US7

I'm planning on gifting this to one of my friends from work. She's really having a rough go of it right now and I know she LOVES the cloths for her kitchen, which is orange. I'll try to whip up a ballband or two in the same colors as well.







I finished the prayer lap blanket for church.

Pattern: Adapted from Lion Brands Prayer Shawl
Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun
Color: Fiesta
Needle: US 13
Completed Size: 40" x 26"
I started this before getting the instructions from church so I cast on fewer stitches than they suggested, as a result I knit it longer so it's a bit larger than suggested, but I think it should be fine. This is really soft, but kind of a pain to knit with. My pop got the last one that the hospital had (since then they've received more from church) but it's part of the new knitting me.... you'll see more of the new side of the knitting me over time. It's a good side. I think you'll eventually agree :-)







I also finished the second Baby Kimono from the Mason Dixon book.

Pattern: Baby Kimono from the Mason Dixon Knitting Book
Yarn: Bernat Naturals Organic Cotton
Color: Cactus
Needle: US6
Button: from stash

I chose cactus because it's the color of the baby's room. I think the sweater looks much more casual knit in garter than in stockinette. I purposely made this larger by about 20%. I hope it fits little Sean.
I'm going to try to make a toy before I mail this out to Paula. Auntie Andrea likes it though, so that's good!

Hopefully you've noticed some more flowering proof of spring in this blog. I really love this season and I think the reason is the new life! The chicks in the 5th grade classroom are hatching. Tomorrow I think I'll take P up to see some.. I must take the camera along to get pictures of him with them. And one of my first grade classes had an emergence from a cocoon yesterday. I still don't know what it was. Need to do some research on that one! Maybe a buckeye butterfly, but I'm leaning more toward some kind of moth.

We hit the local annual booksale at the pool today. DS2 got a Thomas book (hardback with about 4 stories), a Beverly Cleary book (he liked the picture on the front) and the Pony train. DS1 chose Lego books and DD picked out 2 videos (spy kid and some barbie movie) and a Scooby Doo book. Me, I bought them the Rudyard Kipling Just So Stories, Dr. Suess Daisy-Head Mazie (never had heard of that one before and both were hardbacks) and I got the story of Peer Gynt (another hardback) and 2 sing along videos for work. All of that was $10.25 Not to shabby. I love thrifting :-)

book quiz

I found this link on smariek's blog and was intrigued. I love to read, just so little time between work, kids and my first passion. At any rate this was my result

You're Stranger in a Strange Land!

by Robert Heinlein

Most people look at you and think of you as a Martian, even though you
were born on Earth. Silly Earthlings, er, people. Anyway, you've been telling people
about free love and relaxing like it's some radical idea. Most of them want you to go
back to the '60's (or Mars), but others are in your groove. Grok on!


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Scarily, it describes me to a T. I've not read the book.....YET.... but most people think I'm strange so I can't wait to read it!

yarny goodness

so here's the scoop.....
the acrylic that I bought for school and the charity blanket knitting. With the rate my kids are knitting, they're eating this stuff!




the wool is in 2 groups:


this which I hung out for 2 days on the line like this, and the odor is completely gone!




and this group which I reskeined every single skein so is in a pile right now on the chair until I get another storage bin. I'll count them up sooner or later but I'm thinking 23 full plus 2 partial skeins patons merino, 4 skeins SWS, 4 skeins Knitting Fever Alpaka, 1.6 skeins of noro kureyon, 1 skein Big Mexico, 4 skeins Lambs Pride. enough you say???



And this is the cotton. I'm gonna start cloths for gifts and also next years church auction.


I've made progress on the baby kimono

and envision it complete b4 the weekend is over.

what looms, finishing the BSJ, the prayer lap blanket, and my poncho.

The chorus concert is weighing heavily on me, which is why i'm still awake. guess i should hit the rack.

coming up next is a tutorial on turning chopsticks into knitting needles.

knitting class

as promised here are pictures of the kids from knitting during PSSAs. I won't name them but you can see how
they're working and loving it.




Everyone started their own rectangle. We used the knitted cast on. Once they could cast on knitting itself was as breeze. It seems as though the disease is contagious. :-D I have kids coming to me every day for yarn and needles.











Friends teaching others how to knit. What an epidemic!Even the art teacher has joined in. She's a knitting maniac now! I hope they continue to knit for the rest of their lives.


But more importantly, I hope the importance of charity sticks. That lesson is far more valuable than anything musical I can teach.

just an update

on the flowers. Every day there's a new surprise. I really do love the spring. I have yarny goodness to post but there are pictures in the other camera (with the pix of the kids)

The taxes were finished and enveloped April 14th before 10PM :-D


And now my second born has the virus, he woke up around 6 complaining of a belly ache and proceeded to show us that he really was not feeling well. the poor kid slept all day with dad as the caregiver. Guess I'm on duty next.


I'll post some pics tmrw!

tax time

yes.... we've procrastinated. and to make matters worse, we couldn't find the W2s or 1099s or the mortgage interest papers... so we turned the house upside down, since my brain was pulling its usual Dory stunt. I knew that I put all the papers in a safe place.... and I had. DH found them in a folder on our headboard... under about 27 little kids bedtime books... so the numbers are all together and I must start the computing... wish me luck.

I had a GREAT weekend. I went yarn shopping at a local craigslist find. Liza was selling much of her MIL's stash. I got Paton's Classic Merino (23 skeins), 1.5 skeins of Noro, 4 skeins of Soy Wool Stripes, 4 skeins of Lamb's Pride, 4 skeins of Alpaca, unknown quantities of sugar and cream (didn't really have a chance to peruse it yet) and a pile of acrylic for school.... caron's so soft and some others. I'll try to remember to takes some pictures.

I also got to see some of my buds. Thursday Kaye and her daughter stopped by while they were in town... that was the best! And Saturday Anne saw me out front (sorting through the stash enhancement) so she also stopped... love you guys!


Saturday afternoon DD and her friend went to ACMoore (accompanied by me of course) there was a demo on friendship bracelets (I thought it was a make and take) so each girl came away with the Klutz book and some extra cool colors of embroidery floss... then we sat outside and tied knots (until they got tired of that and wanted to play) I think it will be a fun thing to keep them occupied this summer.

Sunday, we all went to church with DH and picked up mom along the way. Went out to lunch at Charcoal Steaks 'n Things (I think that's the name) They flooded out in 2006 and rebuilt...now with great views of the Delaware...

So back to taxes friends... wish me luck

YAY!

the PSSAs are over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hip hip hooray!

the knitting was really a success. I was much more laid back this year and the kids really enjoyed it. We'll see how much of a blanket we get made. But I have some that I think will be lifelong knitters...so I am happy. I'll post pictures of them all later. They're in my other camera.

I finished another LR block today. This is Noro color 102Y. It's really more subdued than this picture more pinky and less orangy.

I also fixed my friend's Louis Vitton bowler's bag today. The handles were coming off, so at lunch I grabbed a needle and some 8 pound fishing line (that's all I had at work.. well actually she had it in her desk) and fixed it. She's thrilled.. glad I could help!

It was a beautiful day and the kids and I sat outside for quite some time after I got home from work. While we were outside, my long lost friend K and her dd stopped by. It was so good to see her... wow a sight for sore eyes. It really made my day! Thanks K, if you ever read this and let's not stay away from each other for so long anymore! While they were here, I actually looked out front (boy do I need to work in the garden) and saw that there were grape hyacinths blooming... so cute and petite. Like perfect little bells.


am so tempted to cut my daffs and bring them in and shoot proper pictures of them. And I am reminded that I MUST plant more bulbs this fall, because I love them so much in the spring. I'd also like to get some of those miniature ones.. they are so cute. Our neighbor has them in her backyard (which is an impeccable garden) and they take my breath away every day!

I'm going yarn shopping on Saturday morning to a listing from craigslist. And I can't wait. I know I'll get some amazing bargains. I'll be sure to tell all about it later.

Oh and say a prayer that I get the taxes done on time. Why do I always procrastinate so long?????

sick kid

poor ds2. he had a busy day... gymnastics then home for lunch and then to the park with friends and their house for dinner. DH and I went to pick him up and at about 8 he crawled up into my lap and fell asleep... short time after, I was showered with his dinner. fun! why is it that they always lose it on mom... and while I'm holding them on my shoulder??? we came home and he went right to bed but woke up about 30 minutes ago to get sick some more... hope he's better tmrw.

Thought I'd post my latest dyeing... this was with leftover egg dye. I'm calling it spring green. I think it looks a bit like all the greens on the flowers and leaves right now. This is about 92 yards of single ply romney that is about 18 wpi.


Speaking of flowers. My daffies are really starting to come out and the tulip buds are getting 'ripe' I really love spring.

Back for Christmas 2006, I made pop the coronet from Knitty. Mom gave it to me along with the my so called scarf I made him this year and his little turtle knits felted slippers. I shrunk the slippers more so now they fit me, the scarf... well that's fine the way it is (and I don't believe that he ever wore it), but the hat was too big for me (in height) so I took out the lining and frogged about 4 inches from the top..reworked it with a spiral decrease over 16 rows and now it fits me! :-) I think I'll fix the lining and sew it back in because it makes for quite a toasty warm hat. I can carry a bit of him with me all hat wearing season. I still can't believe he's gone.

DH went to pick up the furniture for the boys room. We're keeping it in the garage until their floors get refinished. So I told DS1 since his bedroom furniture would be in the garage, he'd have to sleep there (in the garage) He didn't believe me for a minute. That kid is too smart for me! This End Up bunks but with 2 drawers below instead of two, a 5 drawer dresser, a 3 drawer dresser , a desk with study carrel and a tall bookshelf We got it from craigslist. DD has the daybed with three drawers under it and the 5 drawer dresser and desk in her room. We also found that on craigslist. If you're looking for something, I highly recommend checking it out. We've been so happy with our finds and feel great knowing that we're re-using and keeping stuff out of landfills. I <3 both craigslist and freecycle. Plus you save $ to boot... always a good thing!

daffies

are one of my favorite flowers. I'm so happy that they've decided to open... I think now you can see why I named the yarn I donated to church daffodil..... I wish I had a field of them!

I finished my exchange cloth but I won't post a picture of the whole thing nor the details until after May 1st which is opening day. Sorry partner. This is a teaser though (I'm so bad)

One week of PSSAs down. One to go... thankfully I had a few really good knitters. Plenty of kids who didn't get it, but at least had a good time. I'll post some pictures of the group in this post in a bit.

off to sit with my kiddos... they need some mom time!

pssa

tests... i loathe them. From 8:45 until 12:30, I proctor about 15 students taking math and then reading portion of the test... then I eat and after lunch teach 25 students how to knit (with 2 wonderful co-teachers) I have a couple of kids back from last year and they are also helping if needed. It's a great group and I hope I remember to get some pictures tomorrow so you can see how wonderful they are. The 90 minutes FLIES by.

But I'll be glad when next week is over, and it's back to my regularly scheduled programming.